Grivante's Blog, page 6
September 30, 2017
Announcing the winner of the Grivante Press Kindle Fire Giveaway!
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Today is the day we draw and announce the winner for the 8GB Kindle Fire HD loaded with the Grivante Press Library!
Watch the video to find out who won! Thanks to all that participated!
If you didn’t win but are still interested in checking out some of our books, you can do so below!
September 18, 2017
September Audiobook Review: Speakeasy Dead
Run time: 7hrs and 35 minutes, narrated by Nick Podehl & Emily Beresford
In Vicky Loebel’s Speakeasy Dead we find ourselves in a most unexpected version of the 1920’s. Zombies, witches, warlocks, gangsters, ritzy movie stars and a dance competition? Yep, a dance competition. Oh and I forgot to mention ghosts, a djinn, a demon and probably more that I cannot remember. It was a crazy mix of characters in the familiar setting of prohibition era America. I didn’t know what I would think of this story, but I was actually quite delighted by it.
The two main characters, Clara & Bernie, who we follow in alternating narratives, reminded me a lot of characters from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Bernie, reminded me of Xander and Clara a cross between Willow and maybe a little bit of Buffy herself.
The book is billed as a roaring twenties paranormal romantic comedy and it definitely fits that description. There’s love brewing as well as potions, booze and trouble!
What did I like about this story?
I loved the way the story flowed back and forth between Clara’s point of view and Bernie’s, each with its own opening quote from either the “Girl’s Guide to Demons” or the “Boy’s Guide to Boggarts”. The characters are constantly in worsening peril right from the beginning and the heat just keeps getting turned up as the story goes on.
At times the differing points of view tell you parts of the same scene from their unique perspectives and at others, they are jumping off into a new direction for the story. This kept each chapter fresh, interesting and unexpected.
The world the author created around the prohibition era, filled with witches, warlocks and demons is also filled with possibilities for future stories, while I doubt they will be filled with more zombies, I hope more books are written because these characters were a lot of fun to listen to.
What didn’t I like about this story?
Ultimately, it’s very sparse on zombies, which is ok, but if you are reading this because you really like zombie books, especially apocalypse level books, you might not care for it. If you like fun stories with action and drama, with characters you can laugh at and root for, then you’ll enjoy this book.
Narration:
The narration on this book was done quite well, with each of the two main characters having their own narrator. It made it fun to listen to and also really helped with what can be one of the challenges of an audiobook, knowing which character is doing something.
Conclusion: (Aka: Would I listen to more by this author?)
Yes, I would. I really enjoyed this story. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that when I set out to listen to it, I wasn’t too sure I’d like it at all because it was so vastly different to everything else I’ve been listening to. Perhaps that’s why I enjoyed it so much, it was fresh and interesting.
I give this 10 out of 10 stars, which is the second month in a row I have given that rating and on two vastly different books!
Get a copy for yourself on Audible!
Check out our other audiobook reviews here!
Product links on this page will most likely take you to an Amazon webpage.
Don’t have Audible? Get 2 Free Audiobooks to check it out!
Enjoy audiobooks? Get a free The Zee Brothers Short Audiobook here!
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September 16, 2017
Check out the new charity anthology, Treasured Chests from Good Morning Zompoc!
A charity anthology of short zombie stories created in aid of the charity Breast Cancer Care (registered Charity in England & Wales 1017658). All royalties (100%) are to be donated to Breast Cancer Care.
Treasured Chests Is a unique, intelligent and terrifying collection of short Zombie Stories. An eclectic collection of short stories brought to you by the Zombie podcast Good Morning Zompoc, featuring the finest authors in the Zombie and Horror Genre.
*Warning Explicit Content*
Content :
1.Foreword – By Diane Coughlin
2.Invasion A – By Peter Mckeirnon
3.Run from the Dead – By Marc Moore
4.Adam’s Birthday – By Claire C Riley
5.Not the Main Character – By Devon C Ford
6.A Flash of Light in the Darkness – by Marilyn Peake
7.Scarecrows – By David A. Simpson
8.To Walk the Halls – By Rebecca Besser
9.Last Light – By Christopher Artinian
10.Judgement Day – By Ricky Fleet
11. Wolfe in Dead Clothing – By R.L. Chambers
12.Beginning of the End (Garage Survival) – By T.D. Ricketts
13.Bobbie’s Boobies – By Grivante
14.Insomnolence – By Valerie Lioudis
15.Concrete Jungle – By M.R. Wallace
16.The Karakyuza – By Kevin J Kennedy
17.Slayer – By Andrew Lennon
18.Zombie Granny – By Steve Higgs
19.Betrayal – By Jaime Johnesee
20.Flesh – By Stuart Keane
21.House of Dead Repute – By Matt Hickman
22.Excuses – Cartoon by Stan Yan
All royalties are to be donated to the charity Breast Cancer Care registered Charity in England & Wales 1017658.
August 21, 2017
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August 18, 2017
Book Review: Midnight Me & Bob Macabre
Midnight Me & Bob Macabre by Crash LaResh & Tricia Martin
In this illustrated book designed to help young one’s that struggle with night terrors we are introduced to the young tormented Vex. Vex is plagued not only by the creepy crawlies in his head at night but also the not so friendly character of Twink, his sister.
It’s clear right from the beginning that young Vex’s life is a mess. Enter the mysterious Bob Macabre to help him not only battle his demon’s but also find power over them.
It read like a sophisticated mash-up where The Cat in the Hat meets The Nightmare Before Christmas.
What did I like about this story?
This nighty-nite tale of torture and torment is a noble endeavor by the author. Inspired by his son’s night terrors, he set out to write a story that would help not only his own son to see his demon’s differently, but hopefully others as well.
The story is rich with lyrical imagery, rhyming prose and detailed depictions of Vex’s nightmare reality and his climb through them during the long night in his dreams.
I absolutely loved the art that accompanies Crash LaResh’s prose. Artist Tricia Martin has a style that blends the visuals of a Tim Burton movie with the like’s of Jhonen Vasquez(Johnny The Homicidal Maniac/Invader Zim) or Roman Dirge(Lenore). These are artists that I already enjoy and her art made moments in the story come alive in a completely unique and engaging way, capturing both Vex’s fear and the sometimes crazy hilarity of the moment.
One of my favorite things about the artwork was looking behind Vex at the assorted details Tricia included in the background that added to the content of the story. Well done!
What didn’t I like about this story?
The only challenging aspect to this book is that in most cases, it will need to be read by an adult to a child. I would say they’d need to be at least 12-13 and have a dictionary handy to read it on their own. The prose at times is very thick in terms of the vocabulary used and I found I couldn’t read the book straight through, I had to take breaks and then dive back in again.
The story definitely keeps you engaged as Vex and later Vex and Bob journey through his tortured world, it just takes time to get through the journey.
Conclusion: (Aka: Would I read more by this author?)
Yes, I would, in fact the story ends with a to be continued… so I’ll be awaiting the tale of how Vex beats his curse once and for all along with the rest of you!
Get a copy for yourself to support the creators directly on CreateSpace!
Product links on this page will most likely take you to an Amazon web page.
August 15, 2017
August Audiobook Review: Zombie Road: Convoy of Carnage
Run time 9hrs and 32 minutes, narrated by Eric A. Shelman
In David A. Simpson’s Zombie Road: Convoy of Carnage, we find ourselves introduced to a variety of nick-named truckers hanging out at a truck stop, right before the world ends. Well, not the entire world, that’s one of the fun and interesting elements of this book, but before we dive into that, we’ll tell you a little more about the main characters.
The protagonist of the story is Gunny, an ex-military man, who the book opens up with as he is being interviewed, presumably where the series ends, talking about how he survived. We quickly come to learn that the fall of civilization, to a very fast and ravenous form of zombie, was orchestrated by people with evil intent. The chaos starts almost immediately, with our group of truckers surrounded inside the truckstop learning how the rest of the country has fallen. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the country, we find Gunny’s wife and son trapped in even direr circumstances.
With the help of his friends and fellow truckers, Gunny prepare’s for the long journey to rescue them.
There’s a lot going on in the background of the story. Shadowy government organizations, an unexpected new president and a foreign power suspected of orchestrating the fall of humanity. Oh, and did I mention nuclear peril? It’s almost as if, even if they do survive the zombies, they can’t possibly survive all the other things that are going to destory them. All of these multiple elements really keep you on the edge of your seat and hungry for the story to continue.
What did I like about this story?
At first, I was getting whiplash from all of the truckers with nicknames. Everyone seemed to have one, but I quickly came to find and delight in the fact that each of those names came with a story of their own. Each made sense and made the characters not only memorable but also loveable.
I loved the fact the story was so action packed, pretty much right from the get go. The author makes light of the fact that zombies were impossible until they weren’t, something any modern zombie story needs to have is a little bit of self-awareness about the genre, and he does that well.
What didn’t I like about this story?
While I’m not generally a fan of fast zombies, they add to the action packed thrills of Zombie Road. Hordes of slow zombies wouldn’t be all that scary if they were getting mowed down by a semi, but fast ones, that don’t stop running, even after you’ve burned rubber down the road, well that’s some scary shit!
Aside from that, it did take awhile for the Convoy of Carnage to begin, but not without reason. You can’t just roll out and drive through this crazy world without a plan.
Narration:
Eric A. Shelman, an author of Zompoc fiction himself, does a fabulous job of narrating the book, including adding little tidbits like making the radio communications sound like they are actually coming over the radio and giving each of the main characters a unique voice.
Conclusion: (Aka: Would I listen to more by this author?)
Absolutely. This book has been getting rave reviews for months and I actually moved it up on my listening schedule so I could find out what all the hype was about and it didn’t disappoint. The second book is out now and I’ll be listening to it soon and then I’ll be like the rest of Mr. Simpson’s ravenous fans and chasing his truck down the road screaming for him to finish book 3!
I give this 10 out of 10 stars, the first of the reviews I have done to earn that rating.
Get a copy for yourself on Audible!
Check out our other audiobook reviews here!
Product links on this page will most likely take you to an Amazon web page.
July 18, 2017
All About The Zee Brothers Vol.2 Zombie School Lockdown!
The Zee Brothers Vol.2 Zombie School Lockdown Cover Reveal Post
You may have seen glimpses of this popping up on the internet, but we are glad to finally be able to do the full reveal!
Here it is!
Book 2 features the brothers and JJ dealing with an outbreak inside a charter school. They are trapped, with no weapons, toxic zombies, and scared children. It’s going to take a lot more than brute force to get them out of this one!
The Kindle edition is available now! Click here to get it!
Here’s the full paperback cover which will be released August 25th!
And for you audiobook fans, the audiobook is currently under production in the capable hands of narrator and opera tenor, Ian McEuen. Look for release information this fall!
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And for those that haven’t yet gotten the new edition paperback of book 1, you can order it here!
July 14, 2017
The New Grivante Press Video Logo
Have you seen our new video logo? Designed by the amazing and talented Tricia at Lucid Frames Productions!
Check them out for awesome video design services!
July Audiobook Review: The Necroville Series Book 1 The Dead Woods
9
Run time 1hr and 4 minutes, narrated by Dave Bulmer
In Daniel Parson’s Necroville, A group of friends graduating university go to a zombie themed adventure park, only the zombies aren’t quite as fake as they were expecting them to be.
A night of fun turns horrific when the dead really do start coming back to life.
What did I like about this story?
I loved the banter between the characters, it made me smirk as I listened. There are some good laugh out loud moments and some great descriptions. “Puss and blood dribbled down his chin.”
Ultimately, this is a pretty short story and is just an introduction to what is to come. That taste though is a pretty good one that definitely whets your appetite for more. And even though it’s a pretty brief listen and part of a series, it is a complete story.
What didn’t I like about this story?
It’s an entertaining and complete story, but at just over an hour, it’s hard to really enmesh yourself in the world.
Narration:
Being American, it took me a little while to sync with the British accent of Mr. Bulmer, but by the end, I was enjoying it.
Conclusion: (Aka: Would I listen to more by this author?)
I think the premise of this series is a lot like the humor in Shaun of the Dead, which I loved, so I can’t wait to hear more!
I give this 8 out of 10 stars.
Get a copy for yourself on Audible!
Check out our other audiobook reviews here!
Product links on this page will most likely take you to an Amazon web page.
July 11, 2017
Guppy Butter Release Day
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Today is release day for the Hardcover of Guppy Butter! Released under our Children’s Book Imprint!
Here is where you can get it! (Including with Free Worldwide Delivery!)
And for international peeps, get it with free worldwide delivery at
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